Wheeled mobile container apparatus



Aug. 5, 194?. G. MARTIN WHEELED MOBILE CONTAINER APPARATUS Filed May 13, 1947 Patented Aug. 5, 1947 e George Martin, New Application May 13,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a wheeled mobile container apparatus which, in a preferred embodiment, constitutes a wheeled shopping basket, although, if desired, it may be employed for analogous uses; and the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No, 740,020, filed April 8, 1947, now abandoned.

A general object of the present invention is to provide such a wheeled mobile container apparatus which is desirably rigid and of simple and sturdy construction readily adapted to economical commercial production; may, if desired, be built and distributed in the form of a few easily assembled sub-assemblies to simplify packing and shipping while permitting ready erection and fitting of the sub-assemblies together with a minimum of skill; and which, while being of extremely simple construction, permits easy wheel transport for packages and merchandise and self support upon the surface over which it is being wheeled without danger of spilling the basketcontents.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide such a wheeled mobile container apparatus characterized by three main subassemblies, via, a non-collapsible container or basket; an elongated rod-like control and operating member which constitutes means for supporting the basket and a handle therefor and to serve at its lower end as bracing means which, when rested against the ground, will assure that the apparatus will stand with stability so that the basket will remain upright to avoid spilling the basket contents; and two-wheeled carriage means for support of the basket and the control 35 and rest member therefor, both while being wheeled and when stood upright.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a two-wheeled shopping basket which has an open-top, non-collapsible container, preferably of wire mesh, fastened to (preferably in a removable manner) and supported upon an elongated rod-like unitary control and operating member reinforcing the basket and providing therefor an operating handle and a pair of rest means with one adapted by engagement of the ground efficiently and stably to support, with the carriage wheels, the basket in a substantially upright position, the other rest means being adapted, when rested against upright structure, also to support with the wheels the basket either in a similar position or, when swung down to be rested against the ground, in a basket-tilted position while assuring substantial retention of basket contents.

die Park, N. i.

1947 Serial Ne. 747,618

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structural embodiment of the device which is readily constructed and allows efdcient use and operation thereof.

5 Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention. reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational perspective of a preferred embodiment of the present invention when rested in a substantially upright position;

Fig. 2 is an elevational section of the structure shown in Fig. 1, taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section, taken substan- 25 tially on line 3-3 of Fig, 2 and looking down upon the carriage means thereof;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view through clamp means employed to mount the carriage means to the basket and taken substantially on line 4-4 30 of Fig. 3, showing therein relative position of parts with respect to a portion of the frame member l8 shown in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view through other clamp means employed removably to fasten the basket to the frame member l8 and taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of the handle; portion of the frame member I8 shown in Figs; 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawing, like numerals indicate similar parts throughout and, as will be seen therefrom, a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises an open-top, non-collapsible container l0, preferably formed of wire mesh 45 or interwoven wires which may be Welded together at their junctures, and having substantially rectangular bottom H, sides I2, I 2, front 13 and back I4 panels. In the preferred embodiment, the container I is relatively deep, and has 0 its top l open. The container l0 constitutes a sub-assembly unit and for the purposes of assuring proper positioning of parts and to avoid loss or misplacement of clamping means to fasten sub-assemblies together, it has fitted thereto 55 clamping plates l6 and 11, or a greater number thereof if desired.

ammo? /The clamping plates is and may, if desired,

be of similar construction with each bridging across between two adiacent, longitudinally extending wires and with the ends of each plate curled about the wires which,-if those wires are arranged substantially parallel to each other as preferred and shown, may permit some limited relative sliding movement of each of the plates. The clamping plate It is preferably so mounted upon a pair of the substantially vertically extending, adjacent parallel wires in the back panel l4, preferably near the top of the latter, as shown. The clamping plate i1 is preferably so mounted on a pair of the adjacent, substantially parallel wires extending forwardly in the bottom panel ii of the basket, and preferably near the front of the latter. of course, as has been done in some embodiments of the invention, the clamping plates l6 and i1 may have their ends welded to their supporting wires, rather than curled therearound for sliding movement. It will be noted from the drawing that the clamping plates i8 and I1 are mounted respectively on the back l4 and bottom 'il panels of the basket i substantially intermediate of the two sides panels I2. 12 so that the basket may be substantially medially supportedby. those clamping means. As indicated each of the clamping plates i6 and 11 has a bolt hole formed therethrough substantially intermediate of its ends.

Another sub-assembly of the preferred embodiment of the present invention consists of a substantially rigid "elongated, rod-like unitary member l8, which may be formed of any suitable metallic material and preferably is made of bent steel tubing. The substantially rigid member is has a forwardly extending support portion is which, when the apparatus is in the upright position shown in Fig. 1, is arranged substantially horizontal. Member 18 also includes a substantially uprightportion 20 extending upwardly from' the rear of the support portion is and, in the preferred form, may be arranged substantially at right angles thereto so that the support portion is will extend beneath the bottom panel ll of the basket 10 and the substantially upright portion 20 will lie along therback of the back panel l4. Preferably, a bolt 2| islocated through the hole in the clamp plate It and a hole in the substantially upright portion 20 of the member l3 and a nut thereon removably secures the parts together. It is alsopreferred to position a similar bolt 22 through thehole in clamp plate l1 and a hole in support portion is of the member l3, and to thread a nut thereon also removably to secure those parts together.

The elongated, rod-like member II also includes a forward terminal supporting portion 23 in front of the support portion 19 and extending downwardly with respect to the latter, as shown. The lower end of the supporting portion 23 is adapted for engagement of ground surface to serve as a rest with the basket in an upright position and, accordingly, is preferably equipped with a rubber tip 24. The member l3 additionally has a handle portion 25 extending rearwardly from the upper part of the substantially upright portion 20.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to inclusive, those substantially upright and handle portions 23 and 25 may be merged together in a curve, as shown, with the rear end of the handle portion extending back beyond the back panel l4 of the basket It a substantial distance to provide for convenient graspin and also to form 4 a second rest for basket support when engaged eitheragainst a substantially vertical structure, suchasawall, tree orthelike,withthebasket substantially upright, or against a lower structure or ground surface, with tilt of the basket to a rested oblique position. For this purpose. the rear end of the handle portion 23 preferably is equipped with another rubber tip 2. The rubber tips 24 and 23, when their respective rest brackets 23 and 2! cooperate with the wheeled carriage means of the apparatus, assure eflective frictional engagement of the surfaces of the ground or upright structures against which the apparatus may be leaned, to prevent oasting, which might result in upsetting of the basket and spilling of the contents thereof.

The third sub-assembly of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus comprises carriage means 21, which includes in the preferred form,

a cross axle 28 having rotatably mounted on the ends 28, 23 thereof a pair of wheels 30, 30. The carriage means 21 also includes a bolster plate 3| having the ends thereof 32, 32 turned downwardly substantially at right angles thereto to pro-' vide a pair of cars, with each apertured, as shown,

to receive therethrough the axle 28. The carriage means sub-assembly 21 thus includes a pair of wheels 30, 33 rotatably supported about an axle 28 on which. ismounted a bolster plate 3|.

The bottompanel ll of the basket It also carries a pair of clamping plates 33, 33 having their ends curled about a pair of adjacent, substantia ly parallel, transversely extending wires in the bottom panel, preferably to the rear of a transversely extending medial line thereof so as to be mounted behind or to the rear of the center ofgravity of the supersstructure of the apparatus consisting of the basket Ill and the elongated control and rest member II. The clamping plate 33, 33 may, as shown, be constructed similarly to the brackets i6 and i1 and, accordingly, each has a hole therethrough which receives a bolt 34 extending through a hole in the bolster plate 3|, and a nut on each bolt removably fastens the parts together.

For convenience in packing and shipping, the

above'is, as suggested, supplied to the trade in the form of three separate sub-assemblies, basket It with its clamping means, the elongated control and rest member l8, and the two-wheeled carriase means 21. *The purchaser can readily assemble the parts of the apparatus together after removing the nuts from the bolts 2|, 22 and 34,

34. The bolt 21 will then be placed in the hole in the substantially upright portion 20 of the member II and its nut can be temporarily and loosely engaged thereon. The carriage means 21 may then be loosely applied by projecting the rest bracket 23 and the support portion is or the member I! through between the bolster plate 3| and the cross axle 23 with the former positioned beyond bolt 22 in the clamp plate 11, and with the wheels 30, 30 located'outwardly of the basket side panels l2, 12. Bolt 22 may then be put in the hole in the support portion l 3 of mem-' ber i3 and its nut threaded thereon with slight adjustment, if needed, of the plates [6 and I1 along their respective supporting wires. Tightening of the nuts on bolts 2| and 22 will securely fasten in a rigid manner the basket Ill upon the elongated member I. with the bolster plate 3| loosely located between the bottom basket Panel II and the support portion 13 of the elongated member.

portion l9 and the substantially upright portion of the member l8 may be merged together in a downwardly extending curve, preferably to provide suiilcient intervening space between the hasket bottom panel H and member l8 for free adjustment of the bolster plate 3|, and also to provide, when the parts of the apparatus are fully assembled, to cause that downwardly curved portion of member iii to bear against the cross axle 28 so as to prevent rotational wear thereof in the holes in axle-supporting ears 32, 32 of the bolster plate. As a final assembly operation bolts 34, 36 will be positioned in the bolt holes in the bolster plate 3! with slight adjustment, if needed, of the clamping plates 33, 33 along their supporting wires for alignment of the holes. Nuts are then replaced on bolts 34, 34 and tightened up so as to pull the bolster plate 3| up into rigid position against the basket bottom panel "ii and also simultaneously to cause the downwardly curved portion of the member ii to cramp or bear down against cross axle '28 to prevent the remarked rotation of the latter, as suggested in Fig, l. The bolster plate 3! cooperates with support portion I9 of member IB in giving desired rigidity to the bottom of basket Ill. The resulting assembled wheeled mobile container apparatus is ready for use.

In operation or employment of the assembled wheeled mobile container apparatus or shopping basket, shown in Figs. 1 to 5 incl, a housewife will place the structure on the ground or floor with the wheels in engagement thereof and the basket in a substantially upright position. It may then be wheeled around at will, either pushing or dragging it by the handle portion and with the basket slightly tilted to free the rest bracket 23 from engagement of its tip 24 with the ground surface. If it is desired to rest the basket in a self-supporting position, the structure may be tilted slightly forward until the rubber tip 24- of the rest bracket 23 is brought into engagement with the ground which will then cooperate with the wheels 30, to support the basket in a suitable manner in a substantially upright position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The user may also lean against an upright structure, such asenwsusb engaging the rubber tip 26 on the rear end of the handle portion 25 thereagainst with the basket in a substantially upright position, or the basket may be rested in a tilted position with the tipped end of the handle portion resting against a lower structure or even a ground surface. In the latter case the three point support provided by the two wheels and the handle portion is such that the basket will be in an oblique position, though tilted, sothat there will be a, minimum of tendency for the basket contents to spill out.

As an alternative, there may be substituted for the handle portion 25 and its rubber tip 26 a different type of handle such as a loop I25, as shown in Fig. 6.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above and those made apparent from the preceding description are efiiciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in 6 the accompanying drawing shah be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense,

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A wheeled mobile container apparatus comprising, in combination; a, substantially rigid, elongated, rod-like, unitary member bent to provide a forwardly extending support portion,- a forward terminal supporting portion in front of the support portion extending downwardly with respect to the latter and terminating at a lower end, a substantially upright portion extending upwardly from the rear of the support portion, and a handle portion extending rearwardly from the upper part of the substantially upright portion and terminating in a rear end; a pair of rubber tips with one mounted on the lower end of said supporting portion and the other mounted on the rear end of said handle portion, each adapted for supporting surface engagement; an open-top wire mesh container having a, back panel and a bottom panel and medially supported on said member to constitute therewith a super-structure; clamp means removably fastening the back panel of said container to the substantially upright portion of said member and clamp means removably fastening the bottom' panel of said container to the forwardly extending support portion of said member; a twowheeled carriage mounted below said container at a point to the rear of the center-of gravity of the super-structure and including a cross axle located beneath the support portion of said member and having the ends thereof extending beyond the sides of the bottom panel of said container, a, pair of laterally spaced-apart wheels each rotatably mounted on one of the ends of said axle with the bottom panel of said container located therebetween, and a bolster plate supported upon said axle between said wheels and located between the bottom panel of said container and the support portion of said member; and additional clamps removably fastening said bolster plate to the bottom panel of said container.

, 2. A wheeled mobile container apparatus comprising, in combination; a single, substantially rigid, elongated, rod-like member bent to provide a forwardly extending support portion, a forward terminal supporting portion in front of the support portion extending downwardly with respect to the latter and terminating at a lower end, a

. substantially upright portion extending upwardly from the rear of the support portion, and a handle portion extending from the upper part of the substantially upright portion; an open-top, non-collapsible container having a back portion and a bottom portion and mediallysupported on said member to constitute therewith a superstructure; means fastening the back portion of said container to the substantially upright portion of said member and means fastening the bottom portion of said container to the forwardly extending support portion of said member; a two-wheeled carriage mounted below said container at-a point to the rear of the center of gravity of the super-structure and including a cross axlelocated beneath the bottom portion of 8 tending beyond the sides of the bottom portion or said container; a pair of laterally spaced- REFERENCES CITED apart wheels each rotatably mounted on one ot The following references are of record m the the ends 01' said axle W13: thg ibottom parallax: m of this patent: of said container located ere e ween, an o 5 ster means supported upon said axle between UNITED STATES PATENTS said wheels and located beneath the bottom por- Number Name Date tion of said container; and additional means Ias- 2,405,674 Schliwa et a1 Aug. 13, 1946 tening said bolster means to the bottom portion 2.415.334 Brown Feb, 4, 1947 of said container. 10 3.876 Wright Oct, 18, 1921 1,751,902 Brown Mar. 25, 1930 GEORGE MARTIN. 2,335,579 Chamberlin et a1. Nov, 30, 1932 a 

